


Victorious

by avianscribe



Series: Collection of Prompts [10]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Pre-Roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24868678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avianscribe/pseuds/avianscribe
Summary: Prompto hasn't told Noctis what he's up to and Noctis can only hope Prompto's life isn't in danger. (It's not.)
Relationships: Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Collection of Prompts [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1432558
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	Victorious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MathClassWarfare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathClassWarfare/gifts).



> A drabble in response to MathClasswarfare's prompt, "Victorious (Prompto)", for my June 2020 Birth Month Writing Prompts celebration!

“Why didn’t he TELL me?” Noctis groused. 

“It’s possible he wished to surprise you,” Ignis said, following hot on his heels down the Citadel corridor. Staff and orderlies scattered in front of them, clearing a path for Noctis to rush from the parking garage to the training grounds.

It had taken Ignis a bare 20 minutes to drive from Noct’s apartment to the Citadel, because Noctis had insisted he take the Royal express lanes that were usually reserved for emergencies, even after Ignis had insisted this  _ wasn’t  _ one. (It wasn’t to  _ him, _ maybe.) And now that they were here, it was taking FAR too long to get to where Noctis wanted to be, which was the training grounds, where he was afraid Prompto was getting pulverized. 

“You mean he didn’t think I might want to know when he’s about to be  _ killed??” _ Noctis almost-shouted. 

A guard shot him a sharp look, but he didn’t care; not when his friend’s  _ life  _ could be in danger. None of Prompto’s texts had said  _ anything _ about preliminary Crownsguard trials; they’d just said he was busy this afternoon and couldn’t meet at the arcade. Ignis had let it slip where Prompto  _ actually _ was. Because of  _ course  _ Ignis knew.

“I suspect he thought you might try to convince him not to go through with it,” Ignis unhelpfully supplied. 

“Damn  _ straight _ I would have,” Noctis said.

The doors to the training grounds were not just closed; there was a ‘Glaive stationed in front of them. She saluted them casually. 

“Glaive Altius,” Ignis said, respectfully. 

“Lord Scientia,” she greeted. “Sorry, Highness; I can’t let you in.” 

Noctis sputtered and drew himself up to deliver his Royal Disapproval, but she shook her head. 

“They’re running an assessment; I can’t let anyone in this way. Even you, Highness.”

“Come, Noct,” Ignis said, and pulled at his sleeve. “We can go up to the viewing gallery and wait there.”

Noctis exhaled and slumped in defeat. He let Ignis lead him up to the balcony, where they could watch the disaster unfold but wouldn’t be close enough to do anything about it. He was still working on his warping technique, and thought maybe he could manage to get over the railing in time, if something bad was going down. 

He took a deep breath and finally let himself look down into the arena.

There was Prompto, small and alone in the center of the ring. He had a headset on, and a… was that a pistol in his hand? He stood in front of a small table, and on the far side of the arena, several targets were set up in a line. Behind him, and out of the arena boundaries, stood Gladio and Cor Leonis. 

“What are they--” 

“Hush, Noct,” Ignis said. “Look.”

Cor had a headset on, as well, and was speaking into it, his hand cupped around the microphone at his mouth. Noctis couldn’t hear anything that was said, but Prompto nodded, then aimed.

_ bam! bam! bam! bam! bam! _

Noctis blinked. Prompto lowered his pistol, engaged its safety, and set it down on the table in a precise motion -- and then pumped a fist and made a little “whoop!” noise just like at the arcade. Gladio jogged over to the targets and checked each one. He gave a thumbs-up, and started pulling them out of the way. 

Cor walked to Prompto and exchanged a few unheard words with him, then Prompto nodded, slipped the headset off and set it on the table, then took off at a jog around the perimeter of the arena.

Gladio and Cor put their heads together and Noctis burned with frustration, wanting to know what they were talking about. Then Gladio turned his face up to the viewing gallery and waved, then gestured to them. 

“Let’s go down, Noct,” Ignis said, and led the way down to the arena floor. 

Noctis threw the arena door open with a bang that startled Prompto out of his jog just as he was passing by. “N-Noct!” he stammered, and he gave him a sheepish smile. 

“Good job, kid,” Gladio said as he approached. He slapped Prompto’s back with one of his massive hands and almost knocked him over, but Prompto recovered with a shaky laugh.

“You think so?” he said, accepting the white towel Gladio handed him. He slung the towel over his shoulders, and that’s when it registered to Noctis that Prompto was absolutely dripping -- which stood to reason, if they’d been grilling him for an hour, which they had. 

Cor approached more slowly, and though he didn’t smile, he still had a satisfied aura about him. “Well done, Argentum,” he said. “I’d say that’s a pass.”

“Really?” Prompto said, his face lighting up. “I’m  _ in?” _

Cor nodded.

Prompto leapt probably three feet in the air, pumping his fists and letting out a “Woo hoo!” and then he sniffled, rubbed his nose, and then pressed his palms into his eyes. His shoulders started shaking.

“I think I missed something,” Noctis said. 

Gladio grinned. “Your friend just qualified for Crownsguard recruitment training,” he said. 

“What??” Noctis said.

“Noct, I did it…” Prompto wailed, and then he slammed into Noctis and wrapped his arms around him in a tight squeeze. He sobbed into Noct’s shoulder. “I did it!” 

Noctis hesitantly brought a hand up to pat his sobbing friend on the back. “How come you never told me you were doing this?”

“I thought you’d tell me not to,” Prompto sobbed. 

“You sure you want to do this?” Noctis said. “I mean… Being a Crownsguard is no joke. It’s super dangerous.”

Prompto pulled away to scowl at him, hands on Noct’s shoulders. “And being prince  _ isn’t?” _ he said. “I wanna help you, dude, and this way… I can!” He sniffed again, and his eyes were all watery. “I can stay by your side, even when you’re off doing princely things, and I won’t get left behind.”

Noctis couldn’t help it; he pulled Prompto in for another hug, even with everyone watching.

“I’d never leave you behind,” he said.

“Yeah, well,” Prompto said, his voice wavering with tears. “Now you can’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I wrote this in a reply to someone's comment, but it deserves to be here...
> 
> 2 months into Prompto's training:
> 
> Noctis: _anyone who hurts my friend is DEAD MEAT_
> 
> Ignis: ... Is this why we have so much trouble keeping our new recruits? He's going to get a bruise now and then in training, Noct. It can't be helped.
> 
> Noctis: _anyone who hurts my friend is DEAD MEAT_


End file.
